Capela das Almas: Azulejo Panel Depicting St. Francis of Assisi Receiving the Stigmata

St. Francis of Assisi receiving the stigmata
Situated to the left of the main door of Capela das Almas, the azulejo panel shown in the image depicts St. Francis of Assisi receiving the stigmata, a popular theme rendered in different media, including stained glass and azulejo tilework, across Catholic churches all over the world.

This event is said to have taken place in 1224 on Mount La Verna, a remote mountain in Italy, where Francis was praying and fasting. He experienced a vision of a seraph—a six-winged angelic being—bearing the image of the crucified Christ. Following the vision, wounds resembling those suffered by Christ during the Crucifixion appeared on Francis’s hands, feet, and side. These wounds, known as the stigmata, remained with him until his death two years later.

According to traditional accounts, a friar named Brother Leo was nearby when the vision occurred, although he did not directly witness it. In the panel, another friar sits nearby with a book on his lap, apparently unaware of the miraculous event unfolding beside him. This figure likely represents Brother Leo.

As seen in the image, Francis kneels with his arms raised toward the vision above. Christ appears crucified within the six wings of a seraph, while thin rays extend from Christ toward Francis, visually representing the transmission of the stigmata. Visible in the distance are a town and a monastery on the hillside.

No artist’s signature is visible on this particular panel, unlike several others on the lateral wall attributed to Eduardo Leite.

Given the importance of this episode to St. Francis’s iconography, this azulejo panel occupies a prominent place on the chapel’s facade, right next to the main door.

Another example of the depiction of the stigmata episode, rendered in stained glass, can be seen at Seville Cathedral‘s Capilla de San Francisco. Check this page more details: Seville Cathedral: St. Francis of Assisi receiving the stigmata

The Stigmata of St. Francis is also depicted in a historic mural in the cloister of the Monastery of Our Lady of the Pillar in Goa, India, offering an interesting comparison of the same episode represented in two very different artistic medium. Check this page more details: Pilar Monastery Cloister: The Stigmata of St. Francis of Assisi

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– Capela das Almas de Santa Catarina: Official Plaque Placed by Porto City Council
Life of St. Francis of Assisi
– Capela das Almas: St. Francis Receiving the Stigmata
– Capela das Almas: St. Francis Embracing Christ on the Cross
– Capela das Almas: St. Francis Preaching Before Pope Honorius III
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– Capela das Almas: The Death of St. Francis of Assisi
Life of St. Catherine of Alexandria
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– Capela das Almas: Debate, Victory, and Martyrdom — The Story of St. Catherine

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